Coco Gauff's second-round match at the ASB Classic in Auckland will have an interesting backstory because she will not just be playing another opponent.
Gauff, 19, will face a fellow teenager, Brenda Fruhvirtova, the younger sister of Linda Fruhvirtova, who is a regular name on the main tour. Brenda is only 16, so Gauff will be the older player in the matchup on Thursday.
The American is the top seed at the ASB Classic and the main star in the field. She is attempting to defend her crown from last season. Gauff has not retained a WTA title in her young career but is odds-on to do so by the end of the week and won her opening match against Claire Liu in straight sets.
Ahead of her second-round clash against Brenda Fruhvirtova (a qualifier) - which will be the sixth time that the reigning US Open champion has played a younger opponent at the Tour level - it is important to note that she was victorious in each of the five matches before that.
She first faced a younger opponent in the 2022 San Diego Open, where she beat compatriot Robin Montgomery. Remarkably, the other four matches all took place last season. Gauff faced each of Linda Noskova and Russian teen prodigy Mirra Andreeva on two occasions.
She defeated the talented Czech on US hard courts in Indian Wells and Cincinnati. Her two meetings against Andreeva have all been at the Slams. Gauff was victorious at Roland Garros (the only time she lost a set against a younger opponent) and at the US Open, where she lifted her first major title.
Her clash against Brenda Fruhvirotva adds significance to Thursday's match, which pits two teenagers. At 19, Gauff is already an established Top 5 player, while 16-year-old Brenda is still knocking at the door of the Top 100 on the WTA Tour after a fabulous year on the ITF Tour saw her rack up seven titles.
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